The following. translation of a Chinese circular addressed by the foreign merchants concerned ix the tea trade at Foochow to the Chinese tea hongs and tea growers has b en supplied to us by x correspondent himself G.ML.C.:—
As heaven has its motion so matters affecting mankind have also their changes. Now, we, the foreign merchants, who have many years in China, have conclusion that tea is an important article of trade, and that befure the reign of the Emperors Hsien-feng and Pung-chi foreigners and Chinese alike had profit from this article, as much asa hundredfold; but ent time (we find) that not only are foreign merchants unable to make any profit, but the Chinese teamen and growers also are unable to derive any advantage, Looking at the matter from a commercial point of view, we cannot say that the trade the times, and, in fact, it is a matter void of harmonious arrangement, If no change be'made (we are afraid) the trade in this article, as it goes on, will not be auch esteemed, and yee will not be rth mention Te appears that on its arrival in England in Suey Kut tea was sold at Tis, butin 1884 per pient, 47, only sold at Ts. 23 tall trees may be praued down and reduced to low stature, as also to cutaway annually 5to 10 per cent. of the ofd trees, and' replace then with new ones; also to manure the trees well; and in picking the tea leaves distinction must be made between the old and young, If such care were bestowed upon the cultivation and manuring of the trees, we have no doubt that the fines could be produced. Any one when goi ud the plantations can see that the hill afresh with thrifty branches. If once dvseloped, the leaves would be healthy and the roots strong, Were good labour and manure bestowed upon the trees the colour and taste of the leaves would be perfect, and the plantation would stecessfully flourish. When such is done, we have no doubt tea trate will be in the ascendant. I€no measure be taken, so a8 to make some change in the trade, we are afraid that all the finest ten will become courser, and its price lower; and in such case, it will not only be difficult for the merchants to make any profit, but the tea growers will also find difficulty in amassing wealth. Consequently we tke the trouble to lay the above detailed circumstances before those concerned in the trade for it consideration, with a request, that they will use their best endeavour to comply with the spirit of the times (lit, the proper management of the trade). Having a knowledge of the evil arising from the' present state of things, they must plainly coo that if proper measures be taken, the price for the best tea will be daily increased and the wish of the merchants concerned will be fully attained, Compliance with the above request is the ardent hope of the"
Forzicy Tea Meronants. for me to say more,—Mr.
lat down; but on his Lordshi ad no wish to stop hi ultimately continued hin ad: tres contended the for of Bradfield directing Tumioron to go at once and take the "ill of sale out-of Court, and that Jamieson actually did tuke steps to that end, showed that they considered that the bill of oslo hind been paid off. It would have been a breach of truat for Jamieson to do it orherwis in, they came in with the general understanding and the specific instruction that they were tot this money, the plaintiff had no right t+ hold the promissory notes from Jamieson and the title de 0 Nag not from Brad-field. He then contended that McQueen lind been as diligent as hould have been, and had looked at his curities when he returned to Shang-of only looking at the envelope containing them, the absence of the Hougkong Fire shares would have been discovered at a time when Jxmieson atill had money and could ha and the loss negligence 5 loss ought to fall on him to whose nice it wan clu:
His Lorpswjr then summed up and the Jury returned their verdict. The summing-up and verdict appeared in our last issue. period of wot more than ton years, 1 would be found that such prices (owing to the inferiority of the tea leaves) were actually lessened every year. You muy argue that times go countries have lately been different (lit. recently changed), and finest ten is now sold with difficulty but as a matter of fact, the finest teas proa ard Huyeh provinces wd, 80 that you cannot aay it is not much in demond.
You must bear in mind that the price of Hunan and Hupelt tes has been somewhat better in recent ye that of Fuh-hich has been much lessened in past You may again ar; has, owing to its yearly growth of teas, tukein the place of It having been arcortained that Indin had, in the year 1870, produced but 13,477,000 cation, and at the end of May, 1884, yielded 60,469,000 catties; therefore, you can plainly see that, during the period of a little more than ten years, In-la made steady increase in the growth of this article. Th is proper mau growers, who, in fact, have made radical changes as to the growth of the article. Now, comparing the tea produced yearly in Fulkien with that of India, you find that the former gives only n small proportion; that is to say, not exceeding one-tenth of a ten-thousandth part.
We have to impress this upon your mind, that Russian merchants used for ly to procure much of the finest tea Bohen, whereas they hai cha' are obtaining same from the two Hu provinces, Hunan and Hupeh. They are merely procuring Brick tea i Fuhkien uow; 80, you can ace that Fulkier tea cannot compete with that of the two ces named until some chan is made. Should there be men among you who know of the evil arising from the eration of the ten trade, they must devise some measures and arrange that the Th following la the mode suggested for 1g ton and picking the leave The plan adopted by the tea gro the Kwantung province is to pien manure the trees with bean cake every year, On a plantation with an aren of one mow, a dollar's worth of labour and manure was apout, and before w-ing manure, the old carib was curried away and replaced by sturdy branche: aves, colane new earth. The trees, of course, produce
and taste of which will be perfect; in which case, they will be considers good as thoee of India, and on their arrival in London they will' fetch higher prices, and the merchants and growers will be benefited. Consequently it is to be hoped that the many growers will adopt this mode [of cultivation,]
As to the mode of picking. It is quested that the picking of the leav be promptly made according to the time, and that the growers will by no allow the time to pose without pick thew, "At the present moment, tex leaves in the Fuhkien province are narially picked after a lapse of throe or four days beyond the proper time, This practice has an injurious effect, aves cannot stand, the temperature, hence the finest: leaves: became coarser, and those who wish their ten trees to prod well to pick them according to the proper time. This is a matter of vital importance.
time of picking, it is proper for you ide the leaves into first, and middling qualities; when they should be placed in separate baskets 80 that the same should not be mixed up. We are informed that this was the practice in former times, and now why cannot they: be stored in separate places? The leares must be sieved several times, after which they should be divided into, first, second, and middling qualities will not injure the fine quality leaves; therefore, we hope that the growers will at the time of picking store the same in different placer.
Dated the auspiciotis day of the Winter moon in the 10th year of the reign of Kwang Ssu, (January, 1885.)—Daily Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.